Mac and PC - networking, PLEX, office and management

[Flandee]

Hello
I'm not sure where to start with this query so will provide background first. I know very little about networking so please bear with me ...

Background

1. our main computer is an iMac with El Capitan
2. the LAN uses WiFi
   
3. we use Time Machine (certain data files only) and Carbon Copy Cloner (whole machine) for backups
   
4. managing photos for multiple accounts on the iMac is troublesome
5. Office apps are sub-standard compared to Windows
6. we have a lot of media on external HDD

Questions

I would like to improve this setup by:

1. setting up a Windows machine with up-to-date Office
2. using the Windows machine as a media server
3. keeping the iMac as the primary computer

What do I need to do to set this up and where do I start? I just need high level guidance at the moment and will ask more detailed questions if needed. Here are some prompts:

1. should I connect both machines to the router using cable or will WiFi be sufficient (or maybe need to wait and see)?
2. can I setup the Windows PC from the iMac remotely?
3. should I set up the Windows machine to access the Internet or should I just download all software to the iMac and then transfer to the Windows machine for installation?
4. do I need any anti-virus etc on the Windows machine?
5. what is the best way to backup the Windows machine (the total setup for easy restore if needed AND backup of certain media files only)?
6. how do I use external HDD in this setup if I run out of space on the Windows machine?
7. What else do I need to think about?

Thanks

 

[Cory Cooper]

Questions

What do I need to do to set this up and where do I start? I just need high level guidance at the moment and will ask more detailed questions if needed. Here are some prompts:

1. should I connect both machines to the router using cable or will WiFi be sufficient (or maybe need to wait and see)?
2. can I setup the Windows PC from the iMac remotely?
3. should I set up the Windows machine to access the Internet or should I just download all software to the iMac and then transfer to the Windows machine for installation?
4. do I need any anti-virus etc on the Windows machine?
5. what is the best way to backup the Windows machine (the total setup for easy restore if needed AND backup of certain media files only)?
6. how do I use external HDD in this setup if I run out of space on the Windows machine?
7. What else do I need to think about?

Thanks

Hello and welcome.

Answers
1. If your router has more than one Ethernet port, a wired connection is faster than a Wi-Fi connection. Wi-Fi will definitely work however.
2. Setup as in how? From scratch? It can be a little tricky to remotely login to a Windows machine from a Mac without a lot of setup.
3. I would setup the Windows computer directly on it, not via the Mac.
4. Yes! You definitely need antivirus software on the PC, especially if it is connected to the Internet.
5. I have no experience with this - I am sure there is backup software for PCs.
6. For storing meda? I am sure the software you choose (Plex) to run the media server on the PC will have documentation regarding storage of media files.
7. Depends...

Other Thoughts
-You could look at using iCloud Library for storing photos on the Mac and sharing them across devices.
-Do you use all of the Office functions that are present in the Windows version that aren't in the Mac version?

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of experience with Windows, so I won't be able to help much with it.

Hope that helps,

C

 

[Flandee]

Hi Cory

thanks for the reply. I have finally got around to doing something about this (got fed up with a 2009 iMac being so slow and Excel for Mac missing too much functionality).

I'm setting up a mac mini as my server. It will store all my main, frequently used files; external storage will be used for movies, photos and music. I will also set up parallels on the mac mini rather than have a separate Windows machine.

I intend to use the mac mini as my 'portable' laptop once I get a portable screen. This will be used while RVing so that all our stuff is easily available.

It's still a work in progress ....